visions of ecstasy 8th chapter

What is she actually saying? She has seen her brother suck the breasts of her mother. She has witnessed breast-feeding (and was breast-fed herself). Breast milk is most nutritious. A child is well formed by it. Great health, agility, sanity, completeness and the like come by it. A strong relevance/connotation can be applied in her ‘love-world’. She knows the sweetness they would feel/experience, what they would enjoyed. In her mind’s eye, she sees her lover getting ‘the benefits/blessings’ her brother (that sucked the breasts of her mother) got.

She wants them to express love, frankly for him to ‘fellowship’ with her breasts. She derives special pleasures from it. He cherishes it for he says: “her breasts are as clusters of the vine.” This act is an avenue through which they tell themselves how they love each other. Without missing words, women (in as much as there is a strong love flow) wish, want, and say: “O that thou would kiss, caress, fondle my breasts!”

It has been stated before and it’s worth repeating that the union of the male and female sex organs is not all there is to sexual love-expression. The male, though so easily aroused should not be in a rush (hurry) to progressing to the union. There must be room for gentleness, tenderness and play – yes, a foreplay, an after-play.

When I should find you without… It is most wonderful when couples relate to each other in love (great love) in public. She (being in love) is willing to kiss him, to express her love in the open. A woman in a wonderful relationship would want the whole world to know about it. People have respect for women who are matured and getting on well with their spouses. They have high regards for them. Hence, she is moved all the more to shower him with her love openly and not just letting it be a hide & seek thing neither is she ever pretentious lest she be despised. No wonder! We see that she sings his praises (the praises of her lover) before the daughters of Jerusalem!

2. I would lead you, and bring you into my mother’s house, who would instruct me: I would cause you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.
Let her lead you. Let her bring you into her mother’s house; into the world of her tutor, her mentor – the virtuous woman. Be patient with her. Learn to understand her actions. Learn to understand everything about her. She’ll do nothing to spoil her love if she is truly in love. All her actions will directly or indirectly promote the relationship. So, learn to adapt to her patterns, her temperaments. Give her, her choice.

Let her lead you. Treat her; handle her based on her preferences. Let it be rigidly registered in her that you love her by your appreciation of her person, by your respect for her person. Give her that sense of freedom. She is leading you to her mother’s house. She’s living according to proper instructions that breed love, precepts that give love life – making the relationship to be ever new, ever fresh!

Let her "lead" you. Let her express her personality and never compel her to totally adapt to, suit to, your own personality, your own lifestyle. Rather, become a “Jew to the Jews, a Greek to the Greeks” and surely, you’ll win/gain all of her – yea, far beyond your expectations!

Give her the impression that she’s someone important. She’ll definitely surrender her all to you causing you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of her pomegranate. This connotes a realm of letting it be that you richly enjoy her in all ramifications of the union, the oneness… Sexual ‘encounter’ won’t be dry, boring… she’s so full of love that her pomegranate is not short of juice – she’s ever well-lubricated, etc, etc….

A man that is entering into a relationship with a woman has to be ready to make the necessary adjustments. He is to be aware that a ‘different specie’ – a woman is going to be a part and parcel of his life. His life becomes more than masculine. It becomes ‘masculine and feminine’ fused into one. Hence, for perfect unity, he must need fit into her lifestyle. This calls for adjustments – forgoing some things – ways of living, spending… and adopting new ones that ensure a smooth, perfect love flow. He must thus be ready to respond to her virtuous heart: I would lead you, and bring you into my mother’s house, who would instruct me…

She would lead you. She would influence you aright, bringing you into her mother’s house. Yes, for she has received proper education from her mother as touching home and family life. Her mother did not neglect admonishing her on matters that concern dating, love and sex. She did not abandon her in the hands of experience, saying that she’ll learn by experience. Rather, she ensured her daughter was well groomed prior to the times of experience. By her example, by her discussions with her she instructed her.

She is very bold in her declarations. By virtue of the instructions, she’s so matured, well mannered, possessing all the great qualities of a virtuous woman. She can adequately satisfy her man, her lover – “I would cause you to drink of spiced wine of the juice of my pomegranate.” She has the ability, the powers to cause him to drink! Yea, and drink well indeed. How few a woman on earth has achieved this?

3. His left hand should be under my head, and his right hand should embrace me.
How the bride cherishes romance! A strong dance of love play is taking place here. He takes a great step into the realm of sexual love expression. (Dear lover, do not be in a hurry to eat her fruit. Take your time.) He holds her neck; he embraces her, pressing her close to himself. He says: “I love you, I want you close. Yea, very, very close!” A lot of things are taking place simultaneously…

4. I charge you, o daughters of Jerusalem, that you stir not up, nor awake my love, till he please!
She’s so interested in him. She would allow nothing to spoil her love. She gives room for no interference. Her heart’s desire is his maximum satisfaction – ‘till he please’. Love is in full bloom.

Love makes one to place the fulfillment of another uppermost in mind. Love gives and gives… Love receives cheerfully that which is given him. Love rejoices in causing pleasure and satisfaction for another and proves this by even giving sacrificially. So, in love coupling, couples should aim at giving total satisfaction. For when the two are filled, the oneness is established much more firmly.

She charges the daughters of Jerusalem. Her love is sufficient for him (her lover). He need not look elsewhere. There’s love in her. He has no excuse for not seeing it. He gat to continuously see it!

5. Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? I awakened you under the apple tree. There your mother brought you forth; there she who bore you brought you forth.
Who is this coming up from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? People see the love, the intimacy between you and your lover. They cannot hold back. They cannot help but ask, “Who is this?”

… from the wilderness, the place of solitude, with her beloved. In this place, both are alone together. A place, withdrawn from the public, free from disturbance, devoid of intrusion or interference. Lovers seek for a place, a time where, when they seem to be the only ones in existence. They are in a sense alone, together; each enjoying the company of the other; each cherishing and nourishing the other.

Coming up from – as they come before the world, as they face the world, they evoke attention: “who is this?”

Leaning upon her beloved – she rests in him, for she has faith in him. She gives herself to him, relying on him for love, support and cradling care. He treats her like his baby; treats her like a lady. She avails herself to him without restraints, without inhibitions, acknowledging the reality that he’s the head.

I awakened you under the apple tree. (Apple tree reminds us of love). Great declarations are uttered. He is saying, “I found you. I touched you. Your romantic side; your sexual self came alive under the atmosphere of love, under the apple tree. It was under the self-same atmosphere that your mother conceived and brought you forth!”

Set me as a seal upon your heart… “You have to make up your mind, to resolve to channel your love to me, your lover -- alone. Place your focus on me. Anything, everything you ever desired is in me. Do not look elsewhere.”

Set me as a seal… “Let it be marked and settled that I am yours & you are mine.”

7. Many waters cannot quench love, nor can the floods drown it. If a man would give for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly despised.
Love is eternal. It is like a beautiful, ever flowing, mighty stream of crystal clear water. True love exhibits eight great qualities. True, undying, unconditional love has eight different facets. They are joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [humility] and self-control. Such love banishes divorce. It cannot be quenched. It can never die. It would definitely be tested. But, alas! It would stand the test of time.

One cannot buy love. Love bought is not love. It is greed, it is selfishness in disguise, it is everything but good. It is surely not going to last. It’s going to die. In reality, it is dead already. This ‘deadness’ [its death] is definitely going to be seen by all – yea, pretty soon.

The person that desires to give and receive love must look beyond the outward. He or she has to see beyond outward appearance, materiality, etc seeing into the inner conceptions of the heart. The outward may be beautiful. But does vanity not lie beneath ‘only outward beauty’? Inner beauty lasts forever. Inner beauty gives, sustains true love. Of a surety, even the outcome of the outward is greatly determined by the inward. Love sees both inward and outward beauty. Do not be deceived. Focus should not be placed only on the outward, for all that glitters is not gold…

8. We have a little sister, and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister in the day when she is spoken for?
We see here, a great importance of her breasts. The physical structure of a woman’s breasts has its significance. The connotations that can be inferred from the breasts have great implications/significance.

9. If she is a wall, we will build upon her a battlement of silver; and if she is a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar.
It is interesting to note that her family members [her brothers] do work hard to see that she’s awesome, beautiful and virtuous. They play an important role in actualizing the (and/or her) full realization of her womanhood. She’s gat to be presentable to her suitor. They are also keen on who the suitor is. They won’t say yes to just anyone. For they are at peace knowing that she is secured.

10. I am a wall, and my breasts like towers; then I became in his eyes as one who found peace.
I can hear her say, “I am very strong. I do not have weak emotions. Depressions are alien to me. I can be reckoned with, for I am a pillar. My closest friends are wisdom, knowledge and understanding.

“My breasts give my lover a sense of security, a sense of completeness, a sense of safety. Without me, he is incomplete. He needs me to BE ONE. To be whole, full, lacking in nothing. In this dimension, TWO IS ONE.

“He enjoys the wonderful, sweet juices of my two breasts. He eats, and is filled. He drinks! Yea!! He drinks deeply. His satisfaction is my satisfaction. His bliss is my bliss. His fulfillment is my fulfillment.”

Truly, the breasts of a woman plays a vital role in her lover’s perspective of her; in their interaction/relationship; in their ‘bedroom of love’ – loving sexual embrace. Does size matter? Arguably, yes. But true size [the most important size] is in the mind and not necessarily outward. Acceptable size is in the mind’s eye of the lover. The lover, not someone else, determines it!

…then I became in his eyes as one who found peace. Again, she speaks softly, “His love for me increased as a result of an increase in his knowledge and understanding of me. A growth in his perception of me occurred because he saw/sees me as a wall, my breasts like towers. He is in tune with these key qualities, these vital attributes of my Temple. Then, I became in his eyes as one who found peace. He sees me as a dove.”

Such a union, such a relationship, blesses the whole world. Oneness, unity and love are dispersed all over the world when TWO become ONE. Peace reigns supreme.

11, 12. Solomon had a vineyard at Baal Hamon; He leased the vineyard to keepers; everyone was to bring for its fruit a thousand silver coins. My own vineyard is before me. You, O Solomon, may have a thousand, and those who tend its fruit two hundred.
Listen closely and you can hear the utterances, “My vineyard is my body. My body is a temple. I am a priestess (or priest, if male) of this temple. This great body, fearfully and wonderfully made. I have to give my body to the one whom my soul loves. You cannot buy me love. You cannot buy my love…”

13. You who dwell in the gardens, the companions listen for your voice – let me hear it!
You are beautiful and lovely. Everybody is eager for your voice. You shine. Yes, ever so brightly! You shine with an aura of love. Countless rainbows of love abound around you. You have earned the respect, admiration and love of your companions. Let the love shine; let your love light shine!

14. Make haste, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young stag on the mountains of spices.
She desires him intensely. Her lovely juices flow and cry out for his. Her temple aches for his temple. She craves for him to come to her and to come into her with her being the only one on his mind. He’s got to be equipped with a great focus. He’s got to yearn with joy for her. He’s got to come with a lot of spices, a lot of foreplay. A wonderful dance is about to begin!

“How fair and how pleasant you are, O love, with your delights! This stature of yours is like a palm tree, and your breasts like its clusters. I said, “I will go up to the palm tree, I will take hold of its branches.” Let now your breasts be like clusters of the vine, The fragrance of your breath like apples, And the roof of your mouth like best wine.”